Chapter 0: The Conspiracy of the Monster Race?
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“Great King, after observing for two days, there are no signs of human adventurers in our territory,” Little Drill Wind reported.
In the hands of the System, the little one nodded, “Good! Then let’s proceed with our plan and make some renovations to the underground structure.”
“Yes, I’ll instruct everyone to prepare right away.”
Once Little Drill Wind withdrew, Old Drill Wind sneakily hopped over.
“Great King, Second Great King sneaked out of the cave.”
“Oh?”
“All alone, not even bringing her shadow, Little Drill Wind.”
The little one said, “Alright, I got it.”
“Great King, I will continue to observe everyone’s movements and report to you promptly.”
“Good.” The little one nodded slightly.
Old Drill Wind left her chamber, brimming with delight.
Truth be told, the little one wasn’t overly interested in Old Drill Wind’s report, but for a ruler, such individuals were indispensable; at least they could keep you informed about things.
But deciding what information to accept and how to discern the truth was essential.
Well, she would leave the troublesome matters for the Great King to handle when he returned. Right now, she was more focused on upgrading the Cold Wind Cave.
Since the threat from humanity was gone, why not make their future living environment a bit better?
After all, the Great King was still working off debts in Sky Sword City, and she truly needed a stable and comfortable environment.
Currently, the Cold Wind Cave, having lingered in damp and dark conditions, was plagued by mosquitoes, poor ventilation, and was a hotspot for skin diseases, respiratory issues, and even infections. With no natural light and relying solely on torches, the little demons living there were at risk of depression and emotional turmoil, which could negatively impact their fighting spirit—a total disaster waiting to happen.
So, the first order for improving their living quarters was to have the little demons chop some wood and create wooden furniture, completely replacing the original stone tables, stone stools, and stone beds.
Additionally, they’d burn some insect-repelling herbs inside the cave, leading to a transformative improvement in their living environment.
Future plans also included multi-faceted renovations to the cave, such as adding ventilation and natural light.
Her grand vision was even to establish a city for the Monster Race that rivaled Thousand Bird City, though she had no idea when that might happen. But having a goal was better than not having one, right?
In the mind of the little one, stars and seas loomed large; a desire for prosperous farming and constant advancement surged forth.
Meanwhile, Little Drill Wind had been busy slicing radishes in the backyard of Eight Immortals Restaurant for days on end.
Day after day, when he finished cutting one batch of radishes, the next day, it looked like they respawned, filling the backyard all over again.
Fatty was practically ready to puke from the smell of radishes.
“When will this nightmare end? I swear, I’ll never touch another radish again in my life!”
Lin Nan, on the other hand, was far more chill. He squatted down and picked up a plump radish.
Suddenly, he noticed this radish felt a bit different than yesterday’s. With a gentle squeeze, juice gushed out as if the white radish skin was hiding a ton of liquid.
Lin Nan decided to give it a test run.
But using the same slicing technique from days prior, the fragile radish burst apart on the cutting board, juice splattering everywhere.
Fatty seemed to sense something was off.
After days of practice, he had indeed sensed the finesse of shredding radishes, and now with the sudden change in radish texture, what did it mean?
Could it mean that they had passed the first stage and were now onto a new challenge?
In a flash, Fatty quipped, “Alright, I’m ready to ace this round! Just you wait, bro, I’ll outshine you this time!”
Lin Nan rolled his eyes at Fatty’s bravado, focusing all his energy on the radish.
This round’s point wasn’t just about cutting but mastering their grip on the kn*fe.
With the soft, juicy veg, applying too much force would squash it, while too little wouldn’t cut through it. He had to find a balance to slice it into perfectly uniform strips.
Needless to say, the difficulty had definitely ramped up.
In the backyard, both of them fell silent, solemn faces locked in concentration.
Especially since Fatty was convinced this was a once-in-a-century hidden mission, he was determined to reclaim his lost glory; this time, he was going to take the lead.
In the council hall of Thousand Bird City, Gongsun Ding respectfully faced Li Ying Tian, the Sect Leader.
“Master, to what do you owe the honor of calling your disciple?”
Li Ying Tian replied, “Disciple, I’ve been watching your dedicated training these past few days. It brings me great joy. ‘Learning leads to wisdom; diligence leads to kindness; knowing shame leads to courage.’ Very good.”
“Disciple would dare not slack off in the slightest. I seek only to redeem myself and relieve your worries.”
Gongsun Ding didn’t show any signs of relaxation despite the Sect Leader’s praise; if anything, he became even more respectful.
Li Ying Tian stroked his beard and smiled, “Today, I summoned you to do something.”
“Please tell me, Master.”
“Have you heard about the recent skirmishes between humans and monsters in the Chaos Forest?”
“I have some knowledge; it seems someone discovered the trail of the Cold Moon Witch, attracting a flood of adventurers to explore the Chaos Forest. That area belongs to the monster race, and humans haven’t set foot there in ages. I’m sure those adventurers have slain many little demons, provoking the wrath of the great demons,” Gongsun Ding answered logically.
“Exactly. The Chaos Forest borders our jurisdiction. One of our duties is to keep an eye on the movements of the monster race there. Though their power has dwindled under human oppression for centuries, we must not relent.”
Gongsun Ding said, “Understood, Master.”
“Thus, you will represent Thousand Bird City and visit White Feather City.”
“White Feather City? The second-largest city of the monster race?”
“Yes, this vast forest adjacent to Thousand Bird City falls under White Feather City’s jurisdiction. With nearly ten thousand human adventurers killed by monsters, we must not squander this opportunity to confront White Feather City.”
“Are you suggesting… to compel the monsters to make concessions regarding this matter?”
“Indeed, our minimum demand is that they hand over the Cold Moon Witch! How far we can negotiate depends on your skills.”
Li Ying Tian’s tone was as firm as iron, “Moreover, I’m sure you’ve heard some rumors floating around in the city. Although they haven’t been confirmed, I doubt they are without basis. Regardless of the Cold Moon Witch’s identity, White Feather City must provide us with an explanation. The dignity of Thousand Bird City shall not be trifled with; handle it decisively, knowing that Thousand Bird City stands solidly behind you.”
“Understood! I’ll set off right away!”
Gongsun Ding took the letter with the unique stamp of Thousand Bird City that Li Ying Tian handed him, bowed respectfully, and then withdrew from the council hall.
During this time, there had indeed been numerous rumors about the Cold Moon Witch circulating in the city.
The most popular was that a large number of humans had been killed in the Chaos Forest recently, due to being deceived by the Cold Moon Witch.
She first spread false information about her whereabouts through a human adventurer, then used the mission issued by Thousand Bird City to lure a bunch of human adventurers into the forest, drawing them close before ordering the great demons to swarm in and wipe out all humans daring enough to trespass into monster territory.
Her intention was clear: give humanity a harsh lesson.
If this rumor were true, did it not suggest that the monster race, long oppressed by both humans and demons, desired to regain their standing in the world?
Could the Cold Moon Witch truly be some transcendently important demon among the monster race?
Perhaps only a visit to White Feather City would unveil the truth.
After all, how could the human realm sit by and watch the monster race rise? They had to snuff out any potential threats while they were still budding.
This was likely the purpose behind the Sect Leader sending him to White Feather City.
White Feather City had once signed a pact with Thousand Bird City, and although many years had passed, the subjugation from Thousand Bird City had not weakened. Each year, White Feather City would pay substantial tributes of wealth and precious herbs through merchant teams.
This was also why Li Ying Tian had the confidence to send just an inner door disciple to confront White Feather City.
Of course, as per custom, Gongsun Ding should take a few followers along. Going alone would be too pitiable.
But deep behind enemy lines was a risky endeavor.
If handled well, it would be as it should be, but if those monsters were treacherous and turned ferocious, he’d be risking his life.
And ever since being sharply reprimanded by the Sect Leader, Gongsun Ding had maintained his title of chief inner door disciple, but his standing had significantly diminished. Plus, given that Luo Xiu had clearly turned against him and had bribed a hefty number of disciples to switch allegiances, he now had barely a dozen low-level disciples left. If anything went wrong in White Feather City, they might not even be able to escape.
But regardless, this mustn’t diminish the prestige of Thousand Bird City or tarnish its reputation; otherwise, it wouldn’t do to face the Sect Leader.
So, after much contemplation, Gongsun Ding decided to grovel for support from a few allies.
As he expected, when they heard Gongsun Ding’s request, most fell silent.
They were well aware of the monster race’s cunning and treachery, and if the monsters were to protect the Cold Moon Witch, wouldn’t they be walking into a trap?
It was tough enough to get into the inner doors; even if they could never elevate their ranking to the foundation level, they could at least live to two hundred years old without pointless risks.
The atmosphere in the room turned awkwardly tense.
Gongsun Ding sighed internally; had this been before his reputation was in tatters, he would have had no trouble rallying supporters.
Alas! Worst comes to worst, he’d go alone. If he died, he wouldn’t have to drag anyone else down with him.
Just then, a distant voice rang out.
“Senior Brother, can I go with you to see the world?”
Gongsun Ding looked up and was touched to see Tang Tong, who had joined the inner door just a few days ago.
